President and son no comment on PM remarks

President George Abela and his son Robert have declined to comment on Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s recent declarations about the presidency.

Last week, Dr Gonzi said he believed “the jury is still out” on whether he had personally made a mistake to appoint George Abela as President, but he maintained it was the right decision for the country.

Dr Gonzi also said the President’s son, a lawyer who has decided not to contest the election, had overstepped the mark when launched an attack on the Prime Minister during a recent Labour mass meeting.

When contacted, a spokesman for George Abela said: “The President’s comment is: no comment.”

Robert Abela also said he preferred not to comment.

Speaking during a question and answer session with The Times journalists last week, Dr Gonzi said that for the first time in history (2009) the Prime Minister in Malta had had the courage after long years of political upheaval to appoint somebody from an opposing party to the highest political office.

In light of this he thought it was inappropriate and “embarrassing” that Robert Abela, whose wife was a party official, addressed a Labour mass meeting and attacked the Prime Minister and “GonziPN’s” administration.

“It’s just the way he addressed the mass meeting and attacked me... I think it’s tasteless. I’m not comfortable with that,” Dr Gonzi had said.

However, he stressed that he felt the President had been doing a good job and had succeeded in bringing people together.